Manuscript Sources from Japan’s Early Modern Mines
Project MMA hosted its first paleography workshop dedicated to early modern mining sources. The weeklong workshop was hosted at the Casa Orlandai Civic Center in the Sarrià neighborhood of Barcelona from 16–20 March. Kyoto University Professor Iwaki Takuji led a dedicated group of participants including faculty from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris. Morning sessions focused on handwritten documents from the Iwami silver mine. Sources spanned the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries and contained information on timber management, tax assessment, mine management on the eve of the battle of Sekigahara (1600), a family genealogy, and a summary of Iwami’s service to the shogunate. Afternoon sessions considered visual materials such as manuscript maps and hand scrolls as well as Edo-era print matter on mining and related industries. The workshop demystified these sources, strengthened the project’s collaborations with partners in Spain, Europe, and Japan, and catalyzed the research agenda for the rest of the year. We look forward to reading more sources and welcoming additional participants in spring 2027!